When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
by Tracy Diane Miller
Summary: Family and friends help Gary celebrate St. Patrick's Day.


When Irish Eyes Are Smiling  
  
Summary: Family and friends help Gary celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  
  
Disclaimer: Early Edition and Homefront characters belong to whoever created them. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.  
  
Jennifer Hobson, Jeffrey Metcalf, Jr., Jessica Metcalf, Marissa Anne Metcalf, and Garrett Jeffrey Hobson are my own creations.  
  
Author's Notes: This story is part of the continuing series that began with "Mirror Image." "Mirror Image" was an Early Edition/Homefront crossover story where Gary was inexplicably transported to 1946 River Run, Ohio and met and bonded with his mirror image, aspiring baseball player, Jeff Metcalf. "To Love & New Beginnings" is the sequel to "Mirror Image." In "To Love & New Beginnings", a broken-hearted Gary, now back in his own time period, meets and falls in love with Jennifer Szabo Metcalf, the spunky actress and granddaughter of Jeff Metcalf. And in "Destiny Fulfilled", the newlyweds, Jennifer and Gary, await the birth of their first child and confront enemies from the past and present.  
  
Author: Tracy Diane Miller  
  
E-mail address: tdmiller82@hotmail.com  
  
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling  
  
"Tell me again why we agreed to this?" Gary asked Jennifer, a trace of annoyance in his voice.  
  
"Because it's St. Patrick's Day and it's going to be fun." Jennifer insisted as she finished dressing Garrett. The baby wore a little green coat over a white shirt, green breeches with a black belt, green hat, and little black shoes. Jennifer was dressed in a green velvet pantsuit. Her hair was in a French twist.  
  
"Is that why you're dressing our son up like a leprechaun?"  
  
"I'm not dressing him up like a leprechaun. Granddad just thought that it would be nice if we all wore green."  
  
"I'm not wearing green!" He protested.  
  
A brief silence.  
  
He gently cupped her face. "Honey, I love you. I love your family. But a St. Patrick's Day party at McGinty's? I should have my head examined for allowing Jeff to talk me into this. Telling me that it was important that we honor St. Patrick this way. Leave it to Jeff to find a way of attaching religion when he just wants a party. Somehow I can't picture Anne Metcalf finding religious significance for a party held in a bar."  
  
Jennifer smiled. "Did I ever tell you that you're very sexy when you're grumpy?"  
  
"I am, huh? Well, you know, I was just thinking. You and I could always celebrate St. Patrick's Day in a very special, private way. I'm sure that Mom would be happy to baby sit Garrett." He said suggestively, a mischievous gleam in his eye.  
  
"As tempting as that sounds, I don't think that it would be right for us not to show up for a party that we're supposed to be hosting because...."  
  
"It's a sin, right?"  
  
"No. I was going to say that maybe the keeper of the cherished St. Patrick's Day traditions might put a curse on us." She teased.  
  
Gary sighed. "Now you sound like Quigley. That man came in here, drank all the beer he wanted and ran up a tab that he had no intention of paying and when I cut him off, he warned me about the Quigley curse. I figured that he was just talking blarney until everything started going wrong and I ended up with a fiancee."  
  
Jennifer flashed him a look.  
  
"Ah....a pretend fiancee." He quickly corrected. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "A pretend fiancee and her crazy relatives. She must have been related to half of Ireland!" He grumbled.  
  
Jennifer laughed. "Gary, you need to finish getting ready." She said. "But later I want to hear all about this pretend fiancee of yours."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Green and white balloons coupled with matching green and white streamers danced excitedly across the ceiling. A huge green banner with white lettering read "Welcome to McGinty's St. Patrick's Day Celebration." The tables were adorned with white linen tablecloths with green shamrocks. Each table had a miniature pot of gold with edible chocolate coins inside. A huge buffet table was set up with an assortment of foods including Irish cured ham, smoked Irish salmon, Dubliner Irish cheese, poached eggs and haddock, finger slices of Irish brown bread, cheese stuffed herb chicken, garlic bread, potato leek soup, mutton broth, and Irish pancakes.  
  
The strains of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" filtered through the air. McGinty's patrons were dressed in green in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  
  
Quigley sat on a barstool next to Jeff. Jeffrey, Jr. was seated to his father's left. The men were enjoying a huge pitcher of Finnian's Pilsner.  
  
"I tell you laddie. This brew reminds me of the beer of me youth in good ole Dublin, God Bless her." Quigley said to Jeff, in a thick Irish brogue.  
  
Jeff had never tasted imported Irish beer before, but he was pleasantly surprised. He found the taste richer than the beer he used to drink in his youth.  
  
"And that grandson-in-law of yours, he's good people. The laddie throwing this party to celebrate our blessed saint and to honor our kinsmen."  
  
"Gary is swell all right." Jeff agreed.  
  
"He learned that it isn't right to deny an Irishman his pleasure. The laddie fell victim to the Quigley curse several years' back. I tried to warn him but he wouldn't listen until all me ancestors cried out from their graves and rained misfortune upon him."  
  
Jennifer (carrying Garrett) and Gary (wearing a green suit) entered the bar. "Oh Boy." He said upon noticing that Quigley was engaged in conversation with Jeff and Jeffrey, Jr. "Excuse me." He said to Jennifer before hurrying to Quigley.  
  
"Ah...there's himself now. A toast." Quigley said. Jeff and Jeffrey, Jr. raised their mugs. "To Gary Hobson, to a laddie who knows how to honor sweet Ireland."  
  
"To Gary." The Metcalfs echoed.  
  
Gary offered a nervous laugh. "Thanks, but...."  
  
"I'd like to hear more about this Quigley curse." Jeffrey, Jr. said.  
  
Oh Boy.  
  
Jennifer, Lois, Jessica, Ginger, and Marissa Anne proceeded from across the room and joined the men. " Ah...such pretty lassies to hear me tale." Quigley smiled. The Irishman was clearly enjoying his captive audience as he continued with his yarn.  
  
"Well, the dear boy didn't understand the power of the Quigley curse when he deprived a Irishman of his due. And he wouldn't listen to me warnings. But sadly, destruction befell him. Yet, his heart was led to a lovely lassie by the name of O'Rourke and they were on their way to the road of matrimonial bliss."  
  
Jeffrey, Jr. eyed Gary suspiciously. Jeff suppressed a chuckle.  
  
"It was all a trick and not the nicest thing that Gary could have done to his mother I might add. Here I was thinking that I was going to have a daughter-in-law and a grand baby." Lois interjected. She flashed Gary a peeved look as the memory of her disappointment took root.  
  
Gary felt his cheeks becoming warm under the unwelcome scrutiny. "Mom, I had no choice, remember? I was just trying to help Kate out." He said sheepishly.  
  
"And I'd say it was a good thing that everything turned out to be a trick or else Gary would have never found our Jennifer." Jessica offered. She smiled at Gary.  
  
"And we would have never had this wonderful little baby." Ginger chimed.  
  
" Tis true. A saint was watching over the dear boy to bless him to find such a wonderful lassie and to have this beautiful laddie. To.... the baby's name?" Quigley asked, the Pilsner clearly having an affect.  
  
"Garrett." Jennifer replied.  
  
"To Garrett." Quigley toasted. Quigley placed down his mug. To Lois, he said. "Would you do me the honor of taking a spin on the dance floor?"  
  
"I would love to." Lois said as she and Quigley proceeded to the dance floor.  
  
Soon, everyone took to the dance floor as Quigley led the group in the gaiety of traditional Irish dances. Later, they feasted on the succulent foods. Even Gary cracked a smile or two enjoying the time with family and friends and a rare day away from heroics.  
  
The merriment and gaiety continued for many hours. And there were not just Irish eyes smiling this St. Patrick's Day in McGinty's.  
  
The End. 


End file.
